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Wanderlust Wednesday // The Pacific Northwest

Crater Lake National Park by 3dphoto.net on Flickr.

We have been having fun trying to figure out what the heck we are going to for our honeymoon over the past year, but as the wedding draws near we have had to really focus, and finally decide. So we have chosen...drum roll...a road trip through the Pacific Northwest - hitting up California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.

And it is now super official since we booked our first reservation yesterday. We booked an ocean front cabin at the Iron Springs Resort in Washington! They were voted one of the best places to get a cabin in the West by Sunset Magazine. Here is their website (be prepared to drool over the amazing beach views and fun cozy cabins, perfect for getting away from it all).

http://www.ironspringsresort.com/

Our plan is to drive up to Vancouver and back all the while enjoying all the great parks and views along the way. We plan to camp, hike, drink, eat good food, enjoy the scenery, relax and do it all our own way from the comfort of our car. All I have to say is this is going to be one epic road trip.

Resting in the Arms of the World by Lulu the Bold on Flickr.

Here are a few stops we have in mind:
Yosemite National Park, CA
Bodie State Historic Park, CA
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Crater Lake, OR
Eugene, OR
Seattle, WA
Lynden, WA
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lynn Canyon Park, BC, Canada
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Goldstream Provincial Park, BC, CanadaVictoria, BC, Canada
Port Angeles, WA
Olympic National Park, WA
Copalis Beach, WA
Portland, OR
Brandon, OR
Redwoods National Forest, CA
Patricks Point State Park, CA
Humboldt, CA
San Fransisco, CA
Monterey, CA
Big Sur, CA

You can check out all the places we are dying to see on my Tumblr!
http://maddreamdesign.tumblr.com/

Do you guys have any stops, parks or beaches to suggest along the way? We would love to here your favorites! Leave a comment below.

xo,

Wanderlust Wednesday // Afton Canyon

Hey, Hey! Welcome to 2014 and Happy New Year friends!

I am so glad it is Wanderlust Wednesday, because what a better day then to day dream about where to go next! A whole new lot of vacation days, plus if you are like me traveling is always in my yearly goals.

Today I have a fun day or weekend trip that is perfect for this time of year and the not so hot weather, because it is in the middle of the desert.

We had been planning a desert trip for a few months now, but really hadn't decided on a spot yet. It was suppose to be a weekend trip, but we made it into a fun day trip in order to make it back to see family.

When trying to decide the spot Jimi said "oh what about that place you found online?" Me..."Oh ya, what was the name of it again??" Haha. Well we finally figured it out and I was able to find this website - it totally made our trip! Without it I dont think we would have had as much fun...he has everything mapped out. Sure it is still a bit of guessing game, but we were never totally lost.

A few things to note - 4 wheel drive and a not so rainy week before are both good things for this trip. There are a few river crossings - no rain = smaller, not so high crossing, and 4 wheel drive is always a good idea when exploring the road less traveled trails of the desert.

We headed out early and stopped for some fuel at Flappy Jacks before hitting the road. We arrived mid morning to a pretty cool desert camp ground that looks like it bakes in the summer. I am so glad we were there in October. Right next to the railroad tracks, it totally set the tone for the trip. Mojave trail - where in history so many major traders and expeditions have traveled here in the west.

First stop, some caves. Of course. They were not exactly what was expected and our hike turned out to be so much longer than we thought it would be, but we got our workout in and earned our lunch. It was so fun to explore this huge canyon.

Second stop, a place I would love to visit again and camp - it is called Slot Canyon. This tall canyon with the perfect slot in it for refuge. Travelers used to park their wagons in there and camp for the night.

Wanderlust Wednesday // Angeles National Forest

It was officially our last "dating" anniversary on September 21st. It was number 8 and kind of something to celebrate because we wont be celebrating it anymore after this year. So we decided to use our Adventure Pass and hit up another forest before it expired.

This trip was so fun because we did so much exploring while driving. The roads going through this National Forest can't be beat. We got to do some off road trails, some long and windy mountain roads, and some small "into the wild" paths that lead to nowhere in particular.

Our goal was to find a campground with not very many people in it...preferably no one. As the afternoon came to, we got a little scared becasue we were about 2/3rds of the way through the park and had not found quite what we were looking for...but we were determined. So after a little offroading we came to a little site tucked into a valley with large trees and plenty of fall leaves. And better yet, no one was there. Jackpot!

We set up, went for a little hike to explore the place and then started on some dinner. We had a fun night around the campfire...just the three of us, celebrating, acting silly and were truly in our happy place.

Our Thanksgiving!

I was so excited for this year's Thanksgiving for a number of reasons. One, it is one of my favorite holidays - a 4 day weekend, family, food and best of all - thankfulness. Two, we were having it our...for the first time. Third, it was my Dad's birthday...which makes it an even more special day.

I was so happy the weather turned out to be gorgeous here in Southern California for the day so we could eat outside. It was also perfect for BBQing the turkey. Jimi totally owned this task, and brined the turkey for 24 hours and grilled it to perfection.

We did a potluck style meal, because there are just some things we just love that our mom's are excellent at. We were all able to concentrate on one or two dishes, rather than everything all at once...it was so successful and a lot less stressful for all.

The Menu
The Main Course
BBQ Turkey - Jack Daniels Brine, charcoal grill, and hickory wood chips.
*The drawback to a BBQed Turkey - It can not be stuffed and you don't get drippings for the gravy.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes - I used this recipe!
Sweet Potatoes - drowning in a brown sugar butter, sauce these babies are my favorite!
*My mom does a killer job on this family recipe.
Stuffing - Jimi's Mom, Cathy, worked her magic making stuffing without the turkey.
Green Bean Salad - Mom knows how to make green beans delicious

The Extras
Cranberry Sauce - two different directions in cute mason jars, my mom had a traditional sauce and the a relish of sorts, both were amazing!
Gravy - With no drippings, I had to get creative, so I used this recipe. I turned out much better then I expected! Plus, it was so easy!

Drinks
Wine and Martinelli's Sparkling Cider are a Thanksgiving must, but I also made this lime-rosemary water for the table. Yum!

Wanderlust Wednesday // Hawaii: That's a wrap!

Recapping my trip to Oahu has been so much fun! For the last post in this Hawaii series (for now, anyway) I thought I would name a few of my favorite spots and highlight a few things. Enjoy!

From Kailua to Honolulu there is a ton to see on this island, even a few things that might make you forget you are only miles away from the city center:

Na'uanu Pali Hwy
This is probably the prettiest commute in the states. With gorgeous views and tree lined roads, it is never a dull drive. You may have heard of the Na'uanu Pali Lookout, which, in Hawaiian history, is where one of the most important and bloodiest battles took place.

Maunawili Falls Hike
This is a great beginners trail...if you know where you are going. The first time I did this hike we went with a few locals who knew the trail, but this time around we did it by memory and we got a little lost. The trail is clearly marked up to a certain point, but toward the end you are pretty much walk up the river to a nice swimming hole and waterfalls at the end.

It is refreshing and rewarding after about a 1 to 1 1/2 hour hike. The views when coming out into a few clearings are amazing and great places to take a break, get some water and snap a photo. The one downside to this hike? The mosquitoes. Wear repellant, even if you usually don't get bitten, because you are in the think of a rain forest environment.

If, like us, food is your thing, then here are two spots that happen to be only a few blocks away from each other in town:

Leonard's Bakery
Malasadas. Need I say more? Probably some of the best ones you can find throughout all the islands are found at Leonard's. Just up the road from Waikiki near the H1, if you are heading that direction this is a great place to stop on your way (or on your way out).

Bogart's Cafe
Arguably the best breakfast in town. Right around the corner from the Honolulu Zoo, this place is easy enough to walk to if you are staying in Waikiki and well worth the drive if you are not.